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SPOT THE GAPS BEFORE A CLAIM HAPPENS
Why “Standard Cover” Often Isn’t Enough in Electrical Manufacturing
Most insurance problems don’t come from having no policy — they come from having a policy that was bought on the wrong assumptions. Electrical component manufacturers are particularly exposed because products can be embedded into high-value systems, you may do commissioning or field support, and your operations often involve specialist test equipment, controlled environments, batteries, solvents, and complex supply chains.
Exclusions and gaps are not “bad faith” — they are how insurers control what they are (and aren’t) pricing. The goal is to make sure your insurance programme matches your real-world operations and your contracts, so that when something happens you don’t discover the claim falls outside scope.
This guide highlights the most common exclusions and gaps we see for switchgear and control panel builders, sensor/instrumentation manufacturers, PCB and electronics assemblers, connector and cable manufacturers, power supply and charger producers, and general electrical component businesses.
The Most Common Policy Gaps for Electrical Component Manufacturers
If you only read one section, read this. These are the issues that most often cause disputes, delays or uninsured losses. The exact wording matters — but the themes below are consistent across many insurer wordings.
Top “Hidden” Gaps
- Product recall / rectification not covered – product liability usually covers injury/property damage, not the cost to remove/replace.
- Pollution exclusions – public/product liability often restrict or exclude clean-up and gradual pollution.
- Professional / design liability excluded – financial loss from design/spec/advice often needs PI cover.
- Work-away / contracting not included – commissioning/installation can be excluded if you’re described as “manufacture only”.
- Territory mismatch – products exported or re-sold into USA/Canada can create an uninsured exposure.
- Cyber/OT interruption – property/BI often exclude cyber events unless cyber insurance is arranged.
Why These Gaps Hurt
- The loss happens quickly (field failures, spills, ransomware) and cashflow is hit immediately
- Customer contracts often require you to pay costs even without “negligence” being proven
- Delays arise while insurers analyse whether the claim fits the trigger
- Even partial cover gaps can leave you with a large retained loss (deductibles, sub-limits)
- Reputation and contract retention can be more costly than the physical loss
- Export and OEM supply chains create complex jurisdiction/wording issues
Liability Insurance Exclusions (Public & Product Liability)
Public and product liability are core covers for manufacturers, but they have boundaries. The exclusions below are the most common causes of “we thought it was covered” conversations in electrical manufacturing.
Common Liability Exclusions
- Recall / rectification costs – often excluded unless specialist recall cover is added.
- Own product / own work – the cost to repair/replace your own defective product may be excluded (but resultant damage may be covered).
- Contractual liability – liabilities you assume under contract beyond common law may be restricted.
- Pure financial loss – loss of profit/downtime without injury/property damage is often excluded.
- Professional services – design/spec/advice exposures often excluded without PI.
- Pollution – many policies exclude gradual pollution and/or clean-up costs.
- USA/Canada exposure – may be excluded or require specific endorsement and rating.
- Asbestos, PFAS and specialist hazards – typically excluded across the market.
Typical Claim “Mismatch” Examples
- A defective batch is discovered and customers demand replacements (no injury/damage yet) → recall/rectification gap.
- A firmware bug causes downtime but no physical damage → pure financial loss gap.
- An OEM contract makes you liable for broad consequential losses → contractual liability mismatch.
- An overseas reseller sells into USA without your knowledge → territory exposure gap.
- A spill occurs and you pay clean-up costs immediately → pollution/clean-up exclusion under PL.
The right approach is to map your claim scenarios to policy triggers: activity vs product vs pollution vs professional advice. If you do commissioning/installation, confirm that “work away” is included and accurately described, and that you are not unintentionally treated as a contractor excluded by wording.
Property & Business Interruption Gaps (Fire, Flood, Machinery, Stock)
For manufacturers, the biggest uninsured losses are often caused by underinsurance, wrong bases of settlement, and business interruption that doesn’t match how long recovery would really take. Electrical manufacturing has unique exposures: high-value test rigs, calibration benches, ESD areas, and long-lead components.
Common Property Gaps
- Underinsurance – contents/stock values not updated; average clause applies at claim time.
- Wrong basis – indemnity vs reinstatement misunderstanding on plant and equipment.
- Unspecified items – test rigs/tooling/jigs not declared or not valued correctly.
- Flood limitations – high deductibles, sub-limits, or exclusions in higher-risk zones.
- Theft conditions – cover depends on security compliance (alarms set, locks, CCTV, etc.).
- Escape of water – certain pipework conditions/maintenance exclusions can apply.
Common Business Interruption Gaps
- Indemnity period too short – electrical manufacturing may need 18–24 months due to re-qualification and lead times.
- Gross profit miscalculated – sums insured don’t reflect current turnover and growth.
- ICOW missing – no cover for outsourcing, overtime, alternative premises or expedited freight.
- Supplier/customer exposure ignored – contingent BI not considered for single-source suppliers.
- Claims preparation costs – no allowance for accountants/evidence building.
- Cyber interruption excluded – BI won’t respond to ransomware unless cyber cover is arranged.
A strong BI programme is built around reality: how long it would take to replace machinery, rebuild stock, and regain customer approvals. If your recovery plan says “4 weeks”, but your supplier lead time says “20 weeks”, your BI needs to reflect the 20 weeks.
Environmental & Pollution Gaps (Solvents, Oils, Batteries, Waste)
Pollution losses often begin as “your problem right now” — contractors, containment, sampling, clean-up. Public liability can sometimes cover third-party claims, but clean-up and gradual pollution are frequently excluded or heavily restricted. Environmental liability is designed specifically for these exposures.
Typical Pollution-Related Gaps
- Clean-up costs – not covered or limited under PL unless specifically endorsed.
- Gradual pollution – slow leaks/contamination often excluded.
- On-site remediation – first-party clean-up at your premises may not be covered without specialist cover.
- Fire water run-off – contaminated run-off after a fire can trigger environmental response costs.
- Battery incidents – thermal events can create both fire and contamination exposures.
How to Reduce the Exposure
- Document storage quantities and segregation for solvents/oils and batteries
- Use spill kits and train staff; implement immediate containment procedures
- Map drains and install protection measures where feasible
- Maintain waste contractor documentation and compliant storage
- Consider environmental liability for clean-up and regulatory defence
Contractual, Territory & “What You Actually Do” Gaps
Many insurance gaps are created at proposal stage: the insurer thinks you do “manufacture only”, but you also do installation, commissioning, servicing, training, software configuration, or export. Or your contracts push liability beyond what standard wordings expect. Alignment is critical.
Common Contract / Territory Issues
- Worldwide sales vs restricted territory – resellers may ship into excluded jurisdictions.
- USA/Canada exclusions – a common “silent exposure” for component manufacturers.
- Indemnity clauses – contractual liability assumed beyond negligence may not be insured.
- Liquidated damages – contractual penalties are usually not insurable under liability policies.
- Fitness for purpose warranties – can expand your exposure beyond standard product liability triggers.
Activity Description Problems
- Commissioning/installation not disclosed → “work away” excluded or limited.
- Software/firmware configuration not disclosed → professional services excluded without PI.
- Products used in high-hazard sectors not disclosed → underwriting mismatch at claim time.
- Use of subcontractors not disclosed → liability flows not aligned.
- Customer-owned goods held at premises not declared → property gap.
The solution is a clean “risk narrative” for underwriters: what you manufacture, what you do away from site, what sectors you supply, where products go, and what contract clauses commonly appear. Insure24 can help you present this in a way underwriters understand.
We assumed “product liability” covered the cost of replacing faulty units and the customer’s downtime. It didn’t. Insure24 helped us understand the exclusions, add the right specialist covers, and align our insurance with our OEM contracts.
Commercial Director, UK Electrical Components ManufacturerHow to Reduce Exclusions & Close the Gaps
You can’t remove every exclusion, but you can build a programme that responds to your realistic loss scenarios. Below is a practical approach that often improves terms for electrical manufacturers.
Insurance Structure Actions
- Ensure public liability includes your real “work away” activities
- Add product recall/rectification where field failure costs are credible
- Arrange environmental liability if clean-up/regulatory exposure exists
- Add professional indemnity if you design/specify or provide advice/configuration
- Review territory and USA/Canada exposure realistically (including resale routes)
- Consider cyber insurance for ransomware/OT disruption and data liabilities
Risk Presentation Actions
- Produce an underwriter-ready summary: products, sectors, processes, controls
- Provide a contracts overview (typical indemnities, warranty language, LDs)
- Document traceability, testing, CAPA and change control procedures
- Maintain accurate declared values for stock, equipment and tooling
- Stress-test BI assumptions and choose a realistic indemnity period
- Keep photos/site plans and evidence of fire/flood resilience measures
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Why doesn’t product liability cover the cost of replacing my own products?
Product liability is typically intended for third-party injury or third-party property damage caused by a defective product.
The cost to repair/replace your own product (and recall programmes) is usually treated as a commercial/quality cost and is often excluded unless specialist
recall/rectification cover is arranged.
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What is “pure financial loss” and why is it often excluded?
Pure financial loss is a loss that does not arise from injury or property damage — for example, lost profit, downtime, or contractual penalties.
Many liability policies exclude it. Professional indemnity may address certain financial loss exposures linked to advice/design/specification,
but cover depends on wording.
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Is pollution covered under public liability?
Sometimes only to a limited extent (often sudden and accidental only). Many policies exclude gradual pollution and/or specialist clean-up costs.
Environmental liability insurance is designed to cover pollution conditions, remediation and regulatory defence, depending on the policy.
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We do commissioning and installation — is that automatically covered?
Not always. If the insurer believes you are “manufacture only”, contracting or work-away activities can be excluded or restricted.
It’s important your business description and policy wording reflect commissioning, installation, servicing and any subcontractor use.
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Why is the business interruption indemnity period so important?
If the indemnity period is too short, BI payments can stop before you’ve recovered.
Electrical manufacturing can have long recovery timelines due to specialist equipment replacement, long-lead components, and customer re-qualification.
Many businesses need 18–24 months (or more) depending on their situation.
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Can Insure24 review my current policy documents for gaps?
Yes. We can review your schedules, key exclusions, territories and descriptions of work, and highlight the most likely gaps based on your operations.
We’ll then recommend practical solutions to close gaps and improve how the risk is presented to underwriters.
UNIQUE INSURANCE
TAILORED FOR YOU
Exclusions and policy gaps are normal — but they must be understood and managed. Speak to Insure24 for a practical review of your electrical manufacturing insurance programme and we’ll help ensure your cover matches the way you trade.
PROTECT YOURSELF
- Identify hidden gaps before a claim happens
- Structure liability cover around real-world claim triggers
- Improve property and BI to reflect true recovery timelines
- Address pollution, recall and professional services exclusions
- Align policies with your contracts, territories and activities